Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Plan your story: the main character, the problem they face, and how it resolves
2–4 days
Before writing a word of the story itself, produce a story plan that maps out three things: who the main character is and what they want, what problem or conflict stands between them and what they want, and how that conflict is resolved by the end. The plan can be a few paragraphs, a bullet-point outline, or a scene-by-scene list — whatever format lets you see the whole arc before you start. The goal is not to make the plan perfect but to have answered the three questions so you do not lose track of where the story is going when you are deep in the middle. A story plan that only describes the character without naming their problem or the resolution is not finished.
Proof required
In a short document or written submission: describe your main character and what they want, the core problem or conflict they face, and how the story resolves. Your plan should be detailed enough that someone else could follow it to write the story without asking you clarifying questions.
What gets checked
- Plan answers all three questions: character + goal, conflict, resolution — a plan that addresses only the character or only the conflict does not pass; all three must be present
- Resolution is specific — 'the problem gets solved somehow' does not pass; the plan must say how: who does what, what changes, and what is different about the character's world at the end
- Plan is written before the draft begins — if the draft already exists in its final form when the plan is submitted, the order was reversed; verify the submission date of the plan against the draft
Common mistakes
- Writing a plan that is really the opening paragraph of the story — a plan describes structure, not prose; if the submission reads like an opening scene rather than a structural map, ask for a separate structural outline before approving milestone 1
- Planning without a resolution — many short story plans end at the conflict ('and then something bad happens') without addressing how it ends; an open-ended conflict plan produces an unfinished draft; ask the writer to decide the ending before starting
- Choosing a story idea that is too ambitious for 1,000 words — a plan involving 4 characters, 3 locations, and a 10-year timeline will produce a fragment, not a complete story; if the plan looks like a novel outline, encourage the writer to pick one moment and zoom in
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
Masteryfor the dedicated
What a verifier looks for
- Check that all three elements are present: a named character with a stated goal, a specific conflict or obstacle, and a specific resolution — 'they figure it out' is not a specific resolution
- The resolution must end the story, not just pause it — a plan whose resolution is 'they decide to keep going' has not ended the conflict; ask what concretely changes for the character by the final scene
- If the submission reads like a draft opening rather than a structural plan, ask the writer to produce a bullet-point outline before approving — prose plans make it impossible to verify that all three structural elements are present
Write a complete first draft of at least 1,000 words
2–3 weeks
Write the complete short story from first scene to last scene, following (or diverging from) the plan you made in milestone 1. The first draft must reach at least 1,000 words and must have a beginning, middle, and end — it cannot stop in the middle of the conflict or cut off before the resolution. The draft does not need to be polished: awkward sentences, unclear passages, and thin sections are all normal at this stage and will be addressed in revision. What matters is that the complete story exists on the page. If you diverge from the plan, note in a brief paragraph what changed and why — plan deviations are often a sign of good writing instincts, not failure.
Proof required
Submit: (1) the complete first draft document (minimum 1,000 words, all three acts present — beginning, middle, end), and (2) a one-paragraph author's note explaining what was hardest to write in the draft and whether you deviated from the plan.
What gets checked
- Draft word count is at or above 1,000 words — paste the text into a word counter and include the count in the submission; a draft that reads as complete but is 800 words is not at milestone 2 yet
- Draft has all three story acts — the beginning introduces the character and situation, the middle develops the conflict, the end resolves it; a draft that ends mid-conflict does not pass
- Author's note is present — even two sentences about what was hardest satisfies this requirement; a bare draft with no reflection does not pass milestone 2
Common mistakes
- Writing a polished 600-word piece instead of a rough 1,000-word draft — first drafts should be long enough that the story can breathe; a very short piece that seems finished is usually a character sketch or vignette, not a complete story arc
- Stopping at the end of the climax without writing the resolution — many writers reach the most exciting moment and run out of energy before writing the ending; the resolution is often short (half a page) but must exist
- Revising as you draft instead of drafting first — writers who stop to improve every sentence rarely reach 1,000 words; the draft must be completed before revision begins; return to milestone 3 for revision
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
Masteryfor the dedicated
What a verifier looks for
- Confirm the word count — ask for the draft as a shareable document and check the word count indicator in Google Docs or paste into a word counter; a submission under 1,000 words has not met the milestone
- Read the opening paragraph, the middle section, and the ending — confirm the story has all three acts; if the document ends mid-scene or mid-conflict, the draft is not complete
- The author's note should mention something specific — if the note says only 'it was hard', ask one follow-up question: 'which scene was hardest to get through and why?' A short genuine answer passes this requirement
Revise and share — submit the final document or link
1–2 weeks
Read the draft once, identify the two or three biggest issues (not typos — structural gaps, unclear motivations, scenes that drag), and revise with those issues as your focus. Then share the revised story publicly or with an audience beyond yourself: post it on a class blog, submit it to a school anthology, share it in a creative writing community, or send it to a teacher or writing group for feedback. The sharing is as important as the revision: writing that stays in a private folder has not yet done what writing does — it has not encountered a reader. Submit the final document link and include the name or URL of where you shared it.
Proof required
Submit: (1) the final revised story as a shareable document link, (2) a one-paragraph revision note naming the two or three issues you found in the draft and what you changed to address them, and (3) where the story was shared — a URL, a teacher's name, a community name, or a submission confirmation.
What gets checked
- Revision note names specific issues that were addressed — 'I fixed some things' does not pass; the note should name what was wrong and what changed, e.g. 'the ending felt rushed so I added a scene where the character reflects on what happened'
- Story was shared with a real audience — a 'shared with myself' submission does not pass; teacher confirmation, a blog URL, a community post, or a submission confirmation are all acceptable
- Final document is different from the first draft — paste both into a diff tool or simply compare openings; if they are identical, the revision step was skipped
Common mistakes
- Treating revision as proofreading — finding and fixing typos is copyediting, not revision; revision means changing what happens, how it is structured, or how clearly the character's motivation is communicated; a revision note that only mentions spelling corrections does not pass
- Not actually sharing the story anywhere — posting a private Google Doc that requires a sign-in to view, then claiming it was 'posted online', does not satisfy the sharing requirement; the audience must be able to read the story without requesting access from the writer
- Sharing without revising first — submitting the first draft unrevised with a sharing link is transparent in the revision note; if the note says 'I did not change anything' or is absent, the milestone is incomplete
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
Masteryfor the dedicated
What a verifier looks for
- Check the revision note names specific structural changes — if the note mentions only typos, grammar, or vague 'improvements', ask the writer to describe one structural change they made (a scene added, a section cut, a character motivation clarified)
- Verify the sharing URL or confirmation is real — open any submitted URL and confirm the story is publicly readable without requesting access; a private Google Doc link does not satisfy the sharing requirement
- Compare the opening paragraph of the draft (milestone 2) with the final (milestone 3) — if they are word-for-word identical, revision was likely skipped; ask the writer to point to one passage that changed and explain why